


For the first time in forever I won't be alone

by Significant_What



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Consensual Underage Sex, Developing Relationship, Dorks in Love, Feelings, Future Fic, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Non-Penetrative Sex, Rewrite, SO MUCH FLUFF, i am very sorry about this, kind of, lots of feelings, nanowrimo made me do it, teenagers in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 15:48:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16684519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Significant_What/pseuds/Significant_What
Summary: Will smirks and follows Nico’s example on making himself comfortable on the floor again, absently playing with Nico’s fingers. “You’re just cute.”“Am not.”“So cute.”“I’m death and destruction.”“Adorable.”(or; the one where nico and will are too cute for anyone to handle)





	For the first time in forever I won't be alone

**Author's Note:**

> look, it's a rewrite. i know some people don't like that. oh, it's also a combination of two of my old fics. i know some don't like that either.
> 
> but hear me out. the originals were horrible. (i'm not saying this is any better, but. well.) they're the two first solangelo fics i ever wrote. i think that deserves a rewrite. AND they were originally planned to go as a whole story. (you can find the originals [here](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4211846/Significant-What).)
> 
> also. the underage sex. we've talked about this. and the scene is very easy to skip, if that's not something you like. just stop reading after *slight spoiler* will healing nico's bruise.

The first time that Will holds Nico’s hand (because that one time on the Half-Blood Hill during the final battle against Gaea doesn’t count – there’s seriously nothing that kills romance quicker than delivering babies and a hideous tropical shirt that Will still has no idea where it came from) he doesn’t exactly ask for a permission. Nico isn’t big on physical contact, Will has figured that out rather quickly in the few weeks they have known each other and has kept touching to the minimum. Apart from the occasional pulse check or a spread of healing cream on a bruise Will has kept his distance to Nico within acceptable limits, and he’s okay with that. He’s just had to find other ways to show Nico his growing affection. 

After a while, though, Nico has stopped flinching away from Will’s touch. He has stopped trying to get as far away from Will as he can, and he has started sitting closer to him during camp fires. He has stopped trembling like a leaf every time Will gets close to him and has started hanging out in the infirmary, starting up conversations and getting to know Will. Nico has stopped pulling his hand back the second he believes Will has gotten his pulse, and if Will isn’t awfully mistaken he has started to let his touch linger a little longer than is strictly necessary. 

Then there are the smiles – barely a tug on the corner of Nico’s lips, but they’re there, and they’re always aimed at Will, hardly ever at anyone else. Will is positive not many campers even know that Nico knows how to smile. But Will knows, he has seen it, and it is breathtaking. 

Will and Nico have taken to hanging out in the Hades cabin, mostly because Nico still doesn’t feel comfortable in large crowds but seems to be eager to spend time with Will anyway, and Will can’t force Nico out of his comfort zone like that. At first the Hades cabin was in serious need of redecorating due to the dreadfully stereotypical Dracula scheme, and working on that gave Nico and Will a chance to get to know each other outside the infirmary. With the cabin now finished and refurnished with much lighter colors but still appropriately gloom to suit Nico’s tastes, they simply hang around; talking or not talking, sometimes just staring each other and trying to figure out what the other is thinking. 

Sometimes, like now, Nico sits at his new desk reading about burial rites in different cultures ( _how hilariously predictable_ , Will thinks and tries to not let his smile show) and Will sits on top of the desk, leaning his back against the wall by the window and reading a medical book or one of the many novels Nico has quickly gathered in the cabin. (Malcolm has tried to suggest that Nico get an actual book case, but Nico has yet to see the point, so the books lie around in piles. Will can see the attraction in that.) They stay in silence – apart from Will’s occasional humming, Will knows Nico doesn’t mind as much as he says he does – and only look up from their respective works hours later at the call for dinner, surprised that time has gone past so quickly again. 

This time, however, Will isn’t actually getting much reading done. Yes, he’s holding the pre-med chemistry book he found last night from the Big House, and it lies open in his lap, but he hasn’t even turned a page in over half an hour. He isn’t even pretending to look at the book anymore. 

Instead Will is looking at Nico, the way his black hair casts shadows on his forehead, and that faint spray of pale freckles that has only emerged a few days ago, after Nico spent a long afternoon in the sword fighting arena sparring with Percy. Nico is leaning on his left elbow, his right hand lying on the desk next to Will (Will tries to ignore how close the hand is to his thigh), and every so often a frown appears on his face when he reads something he doesn’t quite understand or agree with. 

Will thinks Nico is really pretty. He wants to make a mental remark about Nico looking like an angel, but that would be corny and not even that good of a pun to begin with. He feels a fond smile appear on his face and wonders if he should try to hide it. He decides against it. 

“Stop looking at me like that”, Nico suddenly mumbles, not even looking up from his book. His cheeks and the tops of his ears are tinted pink, briefly hiding the barely-there freckles. Will doesn’t mind – blushing Nico is also a cute Nico. 

Will tilts his head a little. “Like what?” 

Nico huffs, but Will can’t really tell if he’s annoyed or not. He continues to read, and as Will watches the blush ever so slowly leaves Nico’s cheeks. Will can’t look away, it’s like he’s enchanted, no matter how ridiculous it sounds, and all he can do is stare. The silence between them is comfortable, just like it always is nowadays, and even though Nico has made it clear he’s aware of Will’s staring he doesn’t look like he minds that much, after all. Will almost wishes time would stop completely. He hasn’t had too many calm and peaceful moments like this in the past few years, he’s still a little afraid this one would be the last. 

Nico turns the next page in his book and lands his hand back on the table, palm down. After a while he starts silently tapping on the wood, not making a noise but still drawing Will’s attention. Nico has long, elegant fingers like a pianist, and Will can almost imagine him playing the keys. Will is fascinated. 

Without saying anything Will slowly reaches out and touches the back of Nico’s hand with the tips of his fingers. Nico breathes in sharply, clearly surprised, but when he doesn’t pull his hand away Will feels a giddy sort of happiness. All of this is unplanned, Will is just acting on a whim, but Nico is not stopping him so that must be a good sign, right? 

Will traces a barely visible vain under the pale skin of Nico’s hand, keeping his touch light as a feather and the smile on his face. His finger draws a curve from the knuckles to the wrist, then he softly flips Nico’s hand and presses their palms together. Nico’s skin is soft and warm against his. 

“Wh-what are you doing?” Nico’s voice is small, a little scared, barely over a whisper. Will hopes he’s not crossing a line. His heart is beating wildly against his chest and he needs to swallow hard before he can answer. 

“What does it look like I’m doing?” In his own ears Will looks a lot more confident than he feels, and that gives him the courage to experimentally lace his fingers together with Nico’s. Nico responds to his touch, adjusting the angle of his hand so it’s more comfortable to the both of them. By the look on his face Will wonders if Nico even knows he’s doing this.  

“I mean”, Nico struggles with his words, or possibly – like Will – he’s just afraid to speak up, “why?” 

That makes Will let out a small laugh, nervous and a little breathless. “Because I  _want_  to, you dense dork.” He had thought that much was obvious. 

“Oh.” 

Nico must know that he could take his hand back. He could stop this any moment, tell Will that he’d appreciate more space and less physical contact. Will would be fine with that. But Nico doesn’t do any of that. He simply turns back to his book, holding Will’s hand like it’s the easiest thing in the world (Will knows it isn’t, not to Nico). It may not be much to some, but to Will it means everything, and he smiles a little wider than he did a few minutes ago. 

Will could stay there for hours, possibly days. He finally returns to his book, only occasionally stealing a glance at Nico, who is deep in thought and doesn’t let go of Will’s hand, instead using his other hand to torn the page from now on. A small change in their routine, perhaps, but it feels like a lot to Will, like everything has shifted between them, and Will likes to think that Nico feels that, too. If the quick smiles on Nico’s face when Will squeezes his fingers are any indication, Nico does. 

The call for dinner comes way too soon and snaps Will back to the real world. Nico jumps like someone has just hit him; he stand up quickly, the chair falling behind him, and lets go of Will’s hand and starts gathering his books and papers in neat piles on the desk. He doesn’t look up as Will moves to stand, too, not even when he has moved the same book three times and Will has waited for him to say something for two full minutes. 

Will can’t help but feel disappointed. He thought there had been a progress in their relationship (or is it still just a friendship? How does one determine when it stops being one and starts being another?) but maybe he has read too much into the situation. It wouldn’t be the first time, but this time Will would be even more heartbroken than before. 

“Nico – “ 

“I’m sorry”, Nico says hastily, still not looking at Will. His voice trembles a little, and the sound of that is a little too familiar to Will by now. “I mean, I’m not sorry about – about  _that_ ”, Nico gestures somewhat vaguely to the general direction where their hands had just been tangled together on the desk, then nervously runs his fingers through his hair. “Sorry about… sorry.” 

To someone else, Nico’s babbling probably wouldn’t make much sense. A few weeks ago Will wouldn’t have understood it, either. But now he has learned to read Nico’s moods better, at least better than anyone else in camp, probably, so he has a general idea of what Nico means. 

“Okay, well, what is it, then?” he still asks, because Will is just a stupid boy with a crush, and he  _has_  to know for sure, okay? Nico doesn’t seem like he really minded holding his hand back there, but Will needs to know that it wasn’t just a passing lapse of judgement, that it can still happen again. Will feels unnecessarily anxious about the prospect that this may have been the first and only time he gets to hold Nico’s hand. 

Nico takes a deep breath, and Will tries very hard not to push him into talking before he feels ready. “It’s just… I mean, that was nice”, Nico mumbles, and even from the side Will can see his face turning a bright shade of red. It’s insanely cute. “That – that thing we just did. Really nice. But I…” Nico struggles with words again and Will takes deep breaths with him to calm his own heart. “Can we not, I mean – I hope we wouldn’t – you know, out there.” Another vague gesture of his hand, this time towards the door. “I mean, it’s okay  _here_  – more than okay, really. But just…” 

And Will  _gets_ it. Really, he does. Nico falls silent and looks extremely nervous, fumbling with the strings of his hoodie and staring at his shoes and biting at his lip. Will knows Nico doesn’t really like to be touched, and that he doesn’t like crowds. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to Will that Nico wouldn’t like public displays of affection, either. It’s not like holding hands with Nico is a routine to Will just yet, either. 

But Will wants to be sure he understands it right. “Okay, I get that, but why?” he asks, then realizes how rude that sounds. “I mean, I’m not going to argue with that, I just want to know what you’re thinking.” A small part of Will is slightly hurt that Nico doesn’t want to hold his hand in public, but he silences that part with some rather rude words. 

“It’s not like it wouldn’t be as nice”, Nico says, trying to explain, then he wrinkles his nose a little. (Cute, cute,  _cute_.) “No, wait. It  _wouldn’t_  be as nice – I mean”, he runs his fingers through his hair again, looking desperate as he tries to make Will understand what’s going on in his head. “It’s just –  _this_ , all of this, it’s…” Will feels a little bad for Nico, but it’s also a little funny, how he can’t seem to find the right words. “It’s  _private_ , you know?” 

Will almost laughs but bites his cheek on the last minute. Laughing would offend Nico, surely. “You have such a way with words, sunshine”, he can’t help but tease, making sure Nico can see his smile. 

Nico gives him a quick exasperated look but still doesn’t meet his eyes. He does seem to get more courage from Will’s teasing, though. Maybe it’s spite. “I mean that it’s no one else’s business what we do or don’t do.” Nico’s face is scary red now. “It’s private, between just us. And it’s not like I don’t know what people are saying behind my back, that most of the other campers already think we’re dating or something – “ (Will and Nico have discovered this a few days ago and the thought makes Will blush almost as badly as Nico) “ – it’s just that I don’t care, and I don’t feel like putting on a show for them. I’m not some circus act. We are not a circus act. I mean…” Nico keeps looking down and almost hiding his face from Will, but Will can still see his red cheeks and now tightly closed eyes. Will is just happy and relieved that there really is a  _we_. “I might be a dense dork, but I’m  _your_  dense dork. Not theirs.” 

And isn’t that almost a full confession? Nico’s voice has lowered to almost a whisper now but Will has no trouble hearing him loud and clear. His heart feels like it’s trying to beat right out of his chest and he feels a little light on the head. Will smiles brighter than he remembers smiling in a long time and steps closer to Nico, making the space between them almost non-existent. 

“Yes, you are”, Will says and holds out his hand expectantly. “My dense dork.” Nico only hesitates a second before linking their fingers together in a way that is already starting to feel familiar to Will. It feels very okay. “And just so you know, I do get it. It’s private, and I totally agree with that.” Will touches his thumb on Nico’s knuckles, and they both seem to relax a bit. “If they want a circus act, they can go look somewhere else. I’ve never had a burn for performing arts like my siblings, anyway.” 

This finally makes Nico look up, and Will can see the amusement in his eyes, as well as the apparent relief. Had Will known how much this bothered Nico, he probably would have left the questions for another time. He feels like he should have known but at the same time he’s happy they had the talk, anyway. He understands Nico even better now. 

“Good.” Nico’s voice is still quiet, but then again, it normally is. He gives Will’s fingers a tiny squeeze before letting go and stepping away towards the door. “Now come on, we’re going to be  _so_  late for dinner.” 

* * *

After a while, it’s not that uncommon for Will to spend most of his free time with Nico in the Hades cabin. He still sees his other friends regularly during the daily activities – canoeing with Lou Ellen and the rest of the Hecate cabin, archery and infirmary duty with his siblings, lava wall practice with Cecil and the Stolls, Jake and others at camp fire. But since Nico mostly practices sword fighting and combat at the arena or hangs out around the stables due to his newly found interest in the pegasi, there is only so may opportunities for Will to see his new boyfriend. 

(Will still feels a little weird calling Nico his boyfriend. Not that they really call each other boyfriends around camp, Will just repeats it in his head at night and tries to make sense of it. It’s  _so_  weird. But in a good way.) 

Now that people have gotten word that Nico and Will are really dating now – or, rather, now that they have finally stopped loudly denying it – and the news are spreading around camp, Chiron has made it once again clear that two campers shouldn’t be left in a cabin alone together. Due to the fact that he has also started following the rule a lot more strictly, the door to the Hades cabin is almost always open.  

It’s a win-win situation, really. Even tough Nico is familiar to most everyone at camp and people can see he’s just an orphaned teenager like the lot of them, they still don’t feel comfortable approaching the cabin without a very good reason. (Jason and Percy are the exceptions to that rule, barging in every other day to demand Nico’s attention. Nico says it’s annoying.) Will and Nico get their privacy while mostly following the rules, and everyone is happy. Will most of all. 

As it is, if someone would be brave enough to peek inside the cabin, it wouldn’t be an unusual sight to see Will and Nico sitting on the floor side to side, leaning against the frame of Nico’s bed and sharing a bag  of gummy bears between them. On this particular day (a Sunday, free from camp activities and also a pre-informed rainy day to help the strawberries grow) Nico is talking a lot more than usual, slipping out of his carefully shielded ghost king demeanor and for a little while becoming like a regular kid again, telling Will about the wonders of Mythomagic. 

Will really had intended to listen to every word, truly. He has heard from both Percy and Nico himself how much Nico once obsessed over the game, just a few years back (it feels like decades). With the new friendship between the Greeks and Romans the game has started to become popular in Camp Half-Blood, too, and Will really does want to understand it more. But as soon as Nico loses himself in his stories and the plot of the game, lets his guard down even a little and actually shows indivisible interest in something as simple as a game of cards and figurines, Will is struggling to keep focus. 

When Nico talks (really talks, not just keep answering politely when asked something) his Italian roots surface and he starts emphasizing forcefully with his hands. His eyes shine in a way that’s all new to Will, to everyone in camp Will would imagine, and Nico’s voice lacks of the usual lazy, sarcastic tone. His cheeks are slightly pink, different from the full-blown blush that Will manages to cause every now and then; this is a healthy flush, one that has been absent from Nico’s face for so long it’s almost impossible not to stare. And if that isn’t enough, every now and then Nico’s lips curl into a real smile, one that Will hasn’t seen that many times, one that simply takes his breath away and makes his heart squeeze in his chest. 

Will has no idea how long he could have stared at Nico for  - maybe a full hour, or the rest of the day, perhaps even forever if given the chance – but as soon Nico realizes he isn’t really listening anymore he stops talking and starts retreating back into his shell. 

“I’m sorry”, Nico mutters, the flush on his cheeks turning into that familiar blush in a matter of seconds. “That’s not – you’re not interested in Mythomagic. I’m sorry. We can talk about something else if you – “ 

“No, no no no!” Will almost yells, maybe a little too much panic in his voice, and he quickly grabs Nico’s hand. He feels himself blushing, too. “No, I’m sorry, please don’t stop. I mean, if you  _want_  to talk about something else, that’s fine too, but…” Will has no idea what he’s planning on saying, exactly, or why he’s so frustrated about this, but he hates to see this new side of Nico slipping away as quickly as it emerged. “Please. Please tell me more about Mythomagic.” 

Nico’s eyes narrow as he looks at Will. “You weren’t even listening to me.” 

“I was!” Nico gives him a look that feels almost betrayed and tries to take his hand back, but Will doesn’t let him go that easily. “I  _was_ , I really was! At first, anyway. It’s just that – I got a little bit… distracted.” 

“By what?” 

“By you.” 

Will isn’t sure who’s face is more red, his or Nico’s. He can hear the blood rushing in his ears, and Nico is staring at him in shock, his lips slightly parted and eyes widened to the size of plates. Will can tell he’s tense. They both are, really. But Will holds Nico’s gaze and won’t look away, no matter how embarrassing it is, no matter how hot his face feels. 

“By… by  _me_?” Nico’s voice is strained, like his mouth is dry. It probably feels awful. It looks like Nico wants to look away but can’t, and neither can Will. “But – how?” 

Will doesn’t mean to, but he lets out a huff, almost sounding annoyed. “Do you have any idea how  _beautiful_  you are?” It takes them both a moment to realize what he’s said, and by then it’s too late to take the words back. It came out harsher than Will intended to – and he didn’t even mean to say anything like that in the first place! “Okay, sorry, I – I know most guys don’t like to be called beautiful, exactly, but… for a while there, I saw a side of you that I haven’t seen before.” Will smiles nervously and squeezes Nico’s fingers. “A side that I’d live to see again. And – you know, I don’t even know what it is, but you seemed so… I don’t know. Happy. At ease. And it makes you so beautiful, and I’m not even going to apologize for calling you beautiful anymore, because I just can’t find a more suitable word for it.” 

For a while, Nico stays completely still, like a statue. Will can’t read his face. He feels like he has over stepped, since they haven’t really been  _together_  together for more than three weeks now (if you count from the day they held hands and had The Talk). But Will thinks those words still needed to be said, that Nico needed to hear that. Because even if Nico decides he doesn’t like Will talking like that, that’s still who Will is, how he thinks. Will isn’t going to change who he is for anyone, he’ll just have to hope that who he is is enough. 

And anyway, Will has started to see that under that Death Boy glare Nico is a wounded and still a little terrified teenager in need of caring and love. If Will telling Nico he looks beautiful helps, even a little bit… well, Will would do almost anything, and words are easy to him. 

“I’m sorry”, Will still feels compelled to say, when Nico hasn’t moved or said anything for a full minute. “I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I just – I really care about you, Nico, I hope you know that. To me, you’re very beautiful, and I don’t even care how corny and idiotic that sounds, even though I do a little but, because – “ 

“Shut up.” Nico’s expression has barely changed at all, but his voice is small and paper thin. Will snaps his mouth shut immediately, berating himself for saying too much. Seems like words are a little  _too_  easy to him. “You’re a dork, you know that?” 

And before Will can even think of an answer, Nico cups his face in his free hand and pressed their lips together, and Will can’t even remember what they were arguing about anymore. No one has ever kissed Will before. His breath is caught in his throat as his eyes close on their own accord. No one has ever kissed Will, and Will is almost certain Nico has never kissed anyone, either. That just makes it all even more thrilling. 

So far in their relationship it has been Will who has initiated pretty much anything, never pushing Nico too far out of his comfort zone but always encouraging a little more affection. Between holding hands and less than daily hugs and the very,  _very_  rare occasions where Nico has laid his head on Will’s shoulder in their private moments in the Hades cabin, almost everything has been because Will took action first. Will has a feeling that taking charge of his emotions in this way is not something that comes naturally for Nico, but then again, there haven’t exactly been a ton of opportunities for them to show affection freely, yet. 

Nevertheless, Will is happily surprised by the kiss. He doesn’t know much about kissing, but as far as he’s concerned, this one is great. It’s maybe a little too forceful at first, kind of rushed and fast and hard, but then, slowly, Will can feel Nico relax with him. It’s like a battle turning into a slow dance, or an aggressive opera turning into a soft pop ballad. Nico’s hand slides down to the crook of Will’s neck, and Will tangles his fingers into Nico’s soft, curly hair, and bit by bit their movements slow down, until the noise in Will’s ears quiet down and their breaths even out. They don’t exactly break apart as much as just shift from kissing to just pressing their foreheads together, Nico’s breathing tickling Will’s skin and their noses brushing awkwardly together. When Will opens his eyes again, he can see Nico’s eye lashes fanning beautifully on his cheeks, closer now than ever before. 

The only sound that Will can hear is the gentle fall of rain from the open cabin door, and his own pulse pounding in his ears. Never before has he been this close to Nico, or to anyone, and that realization makes him giddy. Closing his eyes again, Will leans a little closer, touching his lips with Nico’s just barely, staying there until a happy smile breaks on his face again. 

It's another few minutes before either of them opens their eyes again, and even still they don’t move anywhere. Nico’s eyes shine the same way they did before, when he was talking animatedly about Mythomagic, and Will is well aware they’re both blushing terribly. The small smile on Nico’s lips (that Will can better feel rather than see) is worth everything. 

“Hi”, Nico breaths stupidly, as if he’s seeing Will for the first time. Will likes to think that he is, in a way. 

“Hello.” From this close Will would be able to count Nico’s eye lashes if he wanted to. Maybe one day he will. “You know, if this is what I get every time I say you’re beautiful, I’m not going to stop. Like, ever.” 

Nico huffs, and probably tries to look annoyed, but he fails terrifically. He slowly retracts his hand from Will’s neck and leans back to properly look at him. “Shut up.” Will is unable to stop looking at Nico, who keeps holding Will’s hand and retreats back to his original position with his back against the bed. The red has yet to fade from Nico’s cheeks, but there’s a content smile playing on his lips, and Will likes him. Nico notices the staring. “What? Why do you keep looking at me like that?” 

Will smirks and follows Nico’s example on making himself comfortable on the floor again, absently playing with Nico’s fingers. “You’re just cute.” 

“Am not.” 

“ _So_  cute.” 

“I’m death and destruction.” 

“ _Adorable_.” 

Nico glares at Will for a while, his eyes speaking a different story, until he gives up and sighs, leaning his head on Will’s shoulder and reaching for the bag of gummy bears lying forgotten on the floor in front of them. “You’re such a dork”, he says again, but Will can’t help but notice the remarkable softness in his voice. 

Will hums happily in agreement, then gets bold and turns his head to press a quick kiss in Nico’s hair. The water keeps hitting the stone paved porch, and the clean smell of rain just makes the moment all the more special. “But I’m  _your_  dork.” 

* * *

It isn’t until late November that Hazel can next visit Camp Half-Blood with a few other Romans, flying in a chariot of six pegasi. Nico hasn’t seen his sister since the Giant War ended, so he hasn’t really had the opportunity to catch up and tell her about… well, Will. 

It’s not like Nico is keeping it a secret, no; it just hasn’t come up in his Iris Messages with Hazel. And anyway, Nico feels like this is something that should be told in person. Hazel is a child of the past, just like Nico is, and this could be a sore spot. He really has no idea how Hazel will react to him dating at all, let alone dating another boy. 

The night that Hazel arrives (after a nasty s’mores food fight between Greeks and Romans by the fire that only ends when someone manages to get a half melted marshmallow stuck in Chiron’s tail), way past curfew, Nico and Hazel both sit curled up on Hazel’s bed, leaning against each other and talking, a lot like they used to do on roof tops in Camp Jupiter. It’s nice, Nico thinks, to have someone to share the cabin with for once. He isn’t lonely, exactly, not with Will spending almost more time in Cabin Thirteen than he does in Cabin Seven with his siblings. But with his only sibling living far across the country in Camp Jupiter Nico is a little melancholy. He sometimes watches the campers from other cabins and wonders if he’s missing out on something great. 

“So”, Hazel says after a moment of silence and fixes her golden eyes on Nico. She looks mischievous. It’s a good look on her. “How are thing going with Will?” 

Nico feels his face heat up in seconds, as well as his neck and chest, and he has to look away from Hazel. “You – you  _know_?” 

“You really thought I wouldn’t?” Hazel’s voice is amused, and Nico gets the feeling she’s about to burst out laughing any second now. He has nothing against Hazel laughing but he doesn’t exactly like it when it’s on his expense. This isn’t  _funny_  to him. “Jason told Reyna as soon as you two stopped denying it, and of course Reyna told Frank and Frank told me. And after tonight I probably would have been able to guess, anyway. You two are not exactly subtle.” She pokes Nico’s side with a finger. It doesn’t hurt, except for his pride. “You know, with the looks you give each other? I would have been blind  _not_  to notice.” 

Despite feeling royally embarrassed, Nico makes it a point to keep the conversation on track and not let Hazel tease him too much. “And… you’re okay with it?” 

For a moment, Hazel is just quiet, but hen Nico sneaks a peek at her face he knows that she has understood what he meant with the question. “Yeah, I am. I mean, I  _was_  shocked at first, as you can probably understand. I hadn’t known about your… you know, your preferences before, and – well, you know as well as I do what it was like with those sorts of things back then.”  

Nico nods. Hazel has become better in talking about these things without blushing furiously. 

“It was confusing at first”, Hazel continues, “but Frank explained it to me. You know, the way things are now. That you – and people like you – are safe, for the most part, and accepted. I’m not saying I understood even half of the things he was saying, or the terms – gods, there were  _so many_ …” She lets out a breathless laughter that Nico would join if he wasn’t so eager to hear what she’s going to say. “The bottom line is that I’m happy for you. Really happy. Because  _you_  deserve to be happy.” 

It’s almost like a huge weight is lifted off of Nico’s chest. He lets out a breath he hasn’t even noticed he’s holding and finally turns to look at Hazel properly. She has a soft smile, Nico has learned, and her golden eyes glint in the low light of the torches. Her curly hair looks like a big ball of golden string, flying around her head. Nico didn’t notice this before, but she doesn’t look as young as she did before – but then again, no one in either of the camps do. The war changed everyone in ways that can’t be explained, and Nico hates it. Hazel looks more mature, more solemn, more sad. 

But all that aside, she also seems happier. Truly happy. Nico doesn’t know if it’s just about Will and him, or if the happiness also has something to do with Frank, but he doesn’t exactly care. What matters is that his sister is happy, even if there is a lingering sadness in her still. And if it is Frank who makes her happy then that’s quite alright with Nico. 

Because after all, how is that really any different from the way Will makes  _him_  feel? 

“I’ve missed you, Hazel”, he mumbles, and Hazel chuckles and softly punches his chest before leaning her head on his shoulder and making herself comfortable there. 

“And you’ve gone soft.” Nico cans till hear the smile in her now a little sleepy voice. “I guess I have Will to thank for that.” 

Nico rests his head on Hazel’s and lets out a small sigh.  _I should deny it_ , he thinks. He should deny it and say that no, he hasn’t gone soft, and even if he has it most certainly has nothing to do with Will Solace. But this is the first time Nico has ever actually talked about Will to anyone and it makes him surprisingly giddy. It’s so different from the times Jason pester him about it (“Are you okay? Is Will treating you well? You know you can talk to me, right?”) or when Cecil and Lou Ellen try to pry whether Will is a good kisser or not because they have some stupid bet. (Will is.) 

Hazel’s hair tickles Nico’s neck and cheek, but he hardly cares. “Yeah. Yeah, you should.” 

* * *

The first time Will spends the night in the Hades cabin isn’t exactly planned. If anyone asks, it’s an accident, and that isn’t even a complete lie. 

It’s right after the last capture the flag game of the year, only two days before New Year’s Eve. Nico twisted his ankle badly when he jumped down from a tree during the game, then used shadow travel to get away from some Ares campers. By the end of the game Nico is so exhausted and so much in pain that Will practically has to carry him to his cabin. There, while making sure Nico rests and doesn’t do anything else stupid, Will gives him another lecture about Nico still not being strong enough to use shadow travel just yet (like Nico doesn’t know that already, half asleep in his bunk) and about pulling stunts like that ever again.  

“And jumping from a tree, of all things? Seriously, di Angelo, do you have a death wish? You’re lucky it’s only a sprain – if it had been anything worse, I would have locked you up in the infirmary for days and banned you from capture the flag indefinitely just to make a point.” 

But, as it is, it’s the first ever capture the flag win for the Hades cabin, and Nico is so adorably happy in his sleepy state that Will can’t really scold him too much. It’s like Nico doesn’t have an emotional filter when he’s half asleep, making Will see every thought and feeling expressed on his face. Will sits on the floor next to his bed, and when his fingers run through Nico’s black curls there is a sleepy smile and a content sigh, and it strikes Will like a lightning when he realizes that he seriously loves this dork. 

(Will is more than a little bit alarmed by that thought and decides to bury it deep for now. He can’t really love Nico. They’re stupid kids, both of them; what do they know about love?) 

There is never a point where Will actually plans on staying, no sir. He has no intention to become harpy dinner or a practice dummy for sword fighting if someone catches him out of his own cabin after curfew. He knows that he should leave right away if he wants to make it safely to his cabin, but closing his eyes for just one second really can’t hurt… 

When Will wakes up with tense shoulders and a sore backside from sitting on the hard floor, his neck hurting and eyes blinking hard to adjust to the darkness, he knows he’s screwed. It’s way past midnight, now, probably closer to the morning already, and there is no way his absence from the Apollo cabin after the game has gone unnoticed by his siblings. Will curses lowly as he rises from the floor. Nico, at least, seems to be fast asleep, buried deep under the heavy covers, so Will starts towards the door, praying to his dad that the harpies won’t catch him. 

“Will.” 

Will stops in the middle of the cabin. He’s never heard Nico’s voice quite this soft. He turns around to look, and at first he thinks that Nico is still asleep (which, by the way, would still have made Will super giddy, to think that Nico has said his name in his sleep, possibly dreaming of him). Then he sees Nico push the sheets away from his face and open his eyes slightly, just enough to convince Will that no, he isn’t asleep anymore. Not fully, at least. 

“Go back to sleep, Nico. I’ll see you in the morning. We’ll walk to breakfast together.” 

“Don’t be an idiot, Solace.” Nico’s sleepy voice is softer than a pile of feathers. He nuzzles into his pillow, and Will has the urge to clutch his hand on his chest, feeling like his heart will burst at the sight. “The harpies will get you the second you step out that door.” Nico moves back, a little closer to the wall behind him, clearly making room for another in the small bed. “C’mere.” 

Again, Will isn’t quite sure if Nico is sleeping or not. He even seriously considers if he himself is still dreaming. His heart is racing, and his mouth suddenly feels very dry. 

The whole situation is so absurd – Nico would never ask him to  _share a bed_  with him if he were fully conscious, Will is almost certain of that. He feels his face burning, but Nico hardly seems flustered. Maybe Nico is too sleepy to get flustered, the same way he couldn’t stop smiling a few hours ago. (Will thinks he could grown to love a sleepy Nico very, very much.) 

Nico closes his eyes again, but as Will doesn’t move from his spot an unsatisfied frown appears on his face. “M’serious, Will. C’mere. And hurry up, I wanna  _sleep_.” 

Will knows that Nico is right. There’s no way he’d be able to get back to his own cabin in the middle of the night without getting caught. (How does Annabeth do it, anyway?) He’s also so tired he can barely keep his eyes open, so the chances of walking straight to the wrong cabin are quite high, too. No reason to risk it. 

So Will gives a little sigh, takes off his shoes, and lies down next to Nico, who holds the covers up for Will to crawl under. (Oh gods, Hades is so going to kill him.) He’s a little tense at first, trying to keep a suitable distance from Nico and staying on his side of the bed, not wanting to touch Nico without a permission. But as soon as he can get comfortable enough and close his eyes he can feel the bed shift. Nico crawls closer without a single word, resting his head on Will’s chest and sneaking an arm around his waist, and Will is quite positive there is some additional nuzzling involved, too. 

Will gives an inaudible chuckle. 

“Shut up. M’sleepy.” 

“I should have known you were secretly a cuddler.” Will buries his face in Nico’s hair and can’t help but smile tiredly. This is actually really nice. 

“I said shut up”, Nico mumbles half asleep against Will’s chest and weakly pinches his side, but doesn’t try to deny it. Instead of letting go of Will he simply holds him a little bit tighter. “One word about this to anyone and you’re dead. Now go to sleep.” 

 _Oh gods, I really do love you_ , Will thinks but keeps his mouth shut. Nico is warm against him, his breathing soft and even, probably long gone to the dream world again. Will smiles as he holds Nico close, now fully able to relax. This feels good, this feels very good, and he’s so tired and happy he doesn’t have the energy to stop his mind from dancing around an endless circle of  _iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou_. 

Will wakes up early, of course, right before the sun. So does Nico, which is a little surprising, but it’s only because someone thinks it’s a good idea to knock on the cabin door at this hour. Will wonders if the other campers know Nico at all. Nico buries his face to the crook of Will’s neck and lets out a quiet whine when the insistent knocking just won’t stop. 

“Go away, I’m sleeping.” 

Kayla’s voice is far more amused than it is annoyed when she replies with, “Don’t even bother with me, Nico, I know Will is in there.” 

Will stops breathing and can feel Nico tense up, too. Neither of them more. Will knows he’s as good as dead now, really and truly dead, and not just because he’s caught in another cabin but also because Nico’s father is going to kill him and then bring him back to life all so that he can kill him again and again and again and  _oh my gods_  Will is so unprepared to die and –  

“I just thought I’d give you guys a little heads up”, Kayla continues. “Most of the Apollo cabin is up by now, but the others are more or less asleep. You have maybe twenty minutes before Jason goes on his morning run, though. If you want to get out of there unnoticed, that is.” 

After a few moments of weighing the pros and cons of speaking up and admitting to his sister that  _yes_ , he is indeed in the Hades cabin, Will lets out a sigh. “Thanks, Kayla, I’ll owe you one.”  _Or more like a dozen, really_ , Will thinks as he rubs the sleep from his face. His other hand goes up and down Nico’s back in soothing motions, trying to ease the tension there.  

Will listens to the sound of Kayla stepping off the Hades cabin porch and hopes she’ll let the matter be for now. Little by little Nico relaxes again against him. Will can tell Nico is still sleepy, with his legs tangled with Will’s and their hearts beating together so closely they might as well be one and the same. All in all, not a bad thing to wake up to. 

It takes a solid ten minutes for Nico to finally lift his head up. Will knows he’s not happy about being woken up this early, but there’s no anger in his eyes – not towards Will, anyway.  

“Morning”, Nico mumbles. His eyes are half closed as he tilts his head a little to the side, almost unconsciously. Will spares half a mind to wonder when Nico has started doing that. 

“Good morning, sunshine.” Will leans in to give Nico a small, lazy kiss before letting his head fall back against the pillows. “Ew. Remind me never to kiss you again before brushing my teeth first. Like, ever again.” 

Nico gives out a small huff that Will is almost certain is supposed to be a laugh. “Yeah, fine, whatever.” 

For once, what Will really wants is to stay in bed for as long as he can. He’s always been a morning person, being awake when the sun rises and up and functioning before hardly anyone else is even starting to wake up. But this Saturday morning, waking up in another cabin and having a cuddly boyfriend in the bed with him, nuzzling his chest and pressing closer, Will just wants to stay under the covers and not care.  

Will can feel Nico’s steady breathing against his neck, the patterns he draws to his side over the t-shirt, the way cold toes press against his calves in the seek of warmth. Nico’s hair tickles his cheek, and once or twice Will is almost certain he can feel a cool press of lips against his collar. This makes Will smile and hold Nico closer to his chest. 

“I could get used to this, you know”, Will murmurs to Nico’s hair and feels a laughter that is too quiet for him to hear. 

“Too bad we can’t. Also if Jason finds out you stayed here last night I’m sure I’m never going to hear the end of it, and neither will you.”  

“You make me sound like a dirty mistress”, Will chuckles and pokes Nico’s side. “Ah, can’t we just kill Jason or something, then enjoy this a little more?” 

“Hmm, tempting.” Nico props himself up with an arm on either side of Will’s torso, smirking down at him. “I think I’ve had a bad influence on you”, he says, leaning down to press their foreheads together. Will’s breath leaves him in a gasp, surprised by Nico’s sudden boldness. “I don’t think it’s like you to one someone dead this early in the morning.” 

Nico looks so good like this, hovering above Will in the early morning with sleep still clinging to his eyes and smile. Nico’s hair sticks to every direction and there’s a soft redness on his cheeks, which Will is sure is mirrored on his own face. He nuzzles their noses together with a smile, wondering how long this kind of bold affection from Nico will last. Maybe it’s a morning thing. If so, Will won’t complain. It’ll just mean he’ll have to find more excuses to find himself in the Hades cabin before breakfast. 

“It was bound to happen at some point.” Will presses a few (dozen) quick kisses along Nico’s jaw before pushing him gently on his side. “We need to get up. I  _really_ want to kiss you and I still haven’t brushed my teeth.” 

(It takes more than three a little less accidental sleep overs in the Hades cabin before Jason finds out, and even then it’s only because Piper tells him. Traitor.) 

* * *

This is not the first time that Nico has seen Will shirtless. Not even close. There was that time that Will’s shirt had mostly burned off on the lava wall, and a couple of times that Will has rushed from the Apollo cabin in the morning while still pulling his shirt over his head, and that incident during a game of capture the flag that an Athena camper got a flesh would and Will tied the bleeding leg with his shirt because it was the closest piece of fabric available. Nico’s own personal favorite is that particularly happy occasion when Will got super sweaty during combat practice so he just took his shirt off and wiped his face with it since it didn’t do its job, anyway. 

So no, this is not the first time that Nico has seen Will shirtless. But this surely is the first time that he gets to thoroughly enjoy it. 

It’s one of those special days when both Nico and Will have decided to not play by the rules, and the door to the Hades cabin is closed. It’s not like they do this that often – only once or twice a month, really, and even then they make sure they don’t miss any meals or camp activities. (Will is very adamant about that, to the point it would be annoying if it wasn’t so endearing.) But no one can really blame them from wanting a moment for themselves, just the two of them curled up in Nico’s bed. Sometimes making out, sometimes cuddling or napping, just enjoying each other’s company.  

For a while now, Nico knows he’s been a bit more bold, a bit more brave, when it comes to Will. He’s taken to reach for Will’s hand more often as soon as they’re alone (sometimes even in the infirmary where anyone could walk in at any given moment), and he’s getting to the habit of initiating kisses between himself and Will more often than he used to – but that’s just a small tip of his chin, and Nico hardly believes that could be counted as being bold. Will has said it’s probably because of the lack of physical affection in his life, that that’s why Nico seeks Will’s closeness, but Nico wants to think it’s more than that, that he’s drawn to Will because of something more than a basic need for affection.  

Nico is still a little reserved, but he trusts Will. Will never pushes him to do anything he doesn’t want to, and only slightly lures him out of his comfort zone. So far Nico has been very pleased with what they have done together, even if it has just been making out and Will making Nico weak on the knees every chance he gets. 

At some point during this particular make out session, however, Will has lost his shirt. That’s a first, and may or may not be Nico’s fault. (If anyone asks, Will is just showing off.) Just a minute ago Nico was tracing kisses slowly down Will’s neck and across his collar bones, mapping every freckle he passed and memorizing their distances from each other, until the stupid no-good piece of clothing had simply been on the way. It had to be removed. It didn’t take Nico much convincing to get Will to discard the shirt on the floor somewhere, but once it hit the floor the whole situation changed. 

Nico is still lying on top of Will, between his legs, and Will still has one of his hands tangled up in Nico’s hair. But there are no more heated kisses, no more intensity, no more soft sight leaving lips as they explore unmapped skin. Will’s eyes are half closed when he looks at Nico. Nico’s on the other hand, are shining and bright, and he looks down at Will in nothing short of awe. 

In the dim (“romantic”, Will says) light of the Hades cabin Will is all but glowing. Literally. Of course Nico has previously noticed the way Will’s freckles seem to stand out more when he blushes, but this is something else entirely. Will’s whole chest is covered in tiny shining dots, scattered to his neck and shoulders too, and Nico just knows there would be more if Will were to turn around on his stomach. Will is pretty – no, Will is beautiful, so beautiful, and Nico feels like his heart might beat its way out of his chest. 

Slowly, as if in a trance, Nico reaches out a hand and touches some of the freckles with the tips of his fingers. He can feel the heat of Will’s skin, the rapid beat of his heart, so similar to Nico’s. He can feel how the muscles on Will’s chest shift as a reaction to his touch. Nico knows his face must be redder than it has ever been before but he can’t find himself to care. Because this is Will, and Will is blushing too, and Will is the most beautiful piece of art Nico has ever seen. He feels like he can finally understand why Will keeps insisting on calling people beautiful. People  _are_ beautiful – just none quite as beautiful as Will, Nico is sure. 

Nico smiles; he can’t help it. He looks at Will, his boyfriend of nearly six months, the glowing freckles on Will’s chest and face and the eyes that are blue like a clear afternoon sky, and he just smiles, because there is absolutely nothing that he would rather be looking at. 

“What?” Will asks, his voice soft and laced with laughter. Nico looks at him and their eyes meet, and Nico can almost see his reflection in Will’s. “What are you thinking?” 

Nico hums as he runs a finger along Will’s left clavicle, right where he traced his lips not too long ago. He’s fascinated to see goosebumps appear on the skin there. “Just that”, he whispers before pressing a feather light kiss on an extra bright freckle, “you kind of look like the night sky, like this.” 

If Will has an objection, he doesn’t voice it. There is a content sight, and fingers running up and down Nico’s spine, and after a while Nico settles to lay his chin on Will’s chest, looking up at his eyes in the slowly vanishing glow. They stare at each other for quite a long while, neither of them turning away even as the very last trace of a glowing freckle is gone. The smile on Will’s lips matches the one on Nico’s, their hands fit seemingly perfectly together, and Nico’s breathing tickles Will’s bare chest. 

And even if they are a little late for lunch that day, it’s definitely not Nico’s fault. 

* * *

There’s a silent agreement in Camp Half-Blood, regarding Nico di Angelo. No one has actually said it out loud, but everyone seems to agree. It is never discussed, it never comes up in conversation, nor is it even remotely important. Still, if anyone were to ask, every loving (or dead) soul in camp would tell you that Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, Ghost King and Hero of Olympus, does not dance. Everyone. Including Will. 

So when Nico misses dinner one day in early May and Will goes to the Hades cabin looking for him, he is pretty shocked at first with what he finds. 

Nico is wearing one of Jason’s old and worn-out purple praetor hoodies. (How Nico has gotten his hands on it is beyond Will – Nico is like a son of Hermes when it comes to stealing other people’s clothes. Mostly Will’s. Will doesn’t mind much.) He has his hair in a messy bun that he has been sporting ever since Piper mentioned he needs a hair cut a few weeks back (Will  _loves_ the bun). He has his head phones on, and in his hands is the monster proofed iPod he got from Leo for Christmas. Nico jumps around the cabin, almost knocking over furniture and the many piles of books he has lying around, and there’s a wide, free,  _happy_ grin on his face as he listens to the music with his eyes closed. 

It isn’t elegant. It isn’t graceful. Will can’t even be sure Nico is following the rhythm, and Nico is constantly tripping over his own feet. (Nico has grown a couple of inches since New Year’s and is still getting used to his new height and longer limbs. It’s nothing if not adorable.) It’s definitely one of the most wonderful (an hilarious) things Will has seen in his life. 

Will leans against the door frame and smiles. He could admire this view forever. It’s still rare to see Nico let go like this, be truly at ease and without a care in the world, if even just for a moment. Will can’t help himself, he wouldn’t be able to look away even if he wanted to. 

(Will doesn’t want to. He never wants to, not when it’s Nico.) 

Will is allowed to just stand there and stare for a good five minutes before Nico trips over a shirt lying on the floor and finally has to open his eyes to gain his balance again. (The shirt looks like one of Will’s, actually, if the color scheme is any indication.) Nico’s face turns white as a sheet when he realizes he’s not alone anymore, and once he sees the look in Will’s eyes he turns into a shade of red that is so intense that it’s not even considered red anymore.  

Most of the black locks of hair have already gotten loose from the bun, Nico is breathing heavily from jumping around for gods know how long, and his lips are slightly parted in surprise. Will isn’t sure it’s even allowed for someone to look that hot by accident. 

Nico pulls the buds from his ears with one swift pluck on the cord. “What the hell are you doing here?” 

Will is hardly alarmed by the harsh tone. “I missed you at dinner. I came looking for you, liked what I saw, didn’t really want you to stop.” 

“How long have you been standing there?” 

The smile now widens into a full blown grin as Will steps inside the cabin and makes his way to Nico. It’s funny how they’re now pretty much the same height. “Long enough to know that you are an adorable dork, not that it was any news to me.” He pulls Nico close and traps him between his arms, burying his face to the nape of Nico’s neck. His hands sneak under the hem of Nico’s shirt, like have so many times before, tenderly caressing the soft patch of skin there. “What were you listening to, anyway?” 

“Fall Out Boy, mostly. Why?” 

“Hmm. No reason.” Will starts leaving a trail of kisses along Nico’s jaw, on his neck, all over his face. He gives Nico one very long, very thorough kiss while tracing his thumbs on his hip bones before continuing with the small pecks, making Nico all but whine at the lack of real kisses.  

“No!  _Will_ – stop! What are you – seriously,  _stop_!” Nico complains as Will keeps peppering the kisses all over his cheeks and nose and forehead, but there is far more amusement than there is anger in his voice. Instead of actually pushing Will away Nico’s hands take hold of the collar of Will’s shirt, pulling him closer. “Stop it, you dork.” Will silences him with another slow, lazy kiss on the lips that leaves Nico even more flustered than before. “I’m seriously going to start summoning zombies soon, Solace. Why would you even – “ 

“Because I love you, that’s why”, Will smiles. Nico’s eyes widen and all blood drains from his face again, but Will just grins and kisses the tip of his nose. “Oh come on, don’t act like you had no idea. I’m actually shocked I managed to go this long without saying anything, really.” 

Will can see how Nico swallows dry and how the dark eyes look almost like he’s in some kind of physical pain. “Will...” 

“I know, sunshine”, Will sighs against Nico’s cheek. “I know. I’m not saying it because I want you to say it back. I’m saying it because I want you to hear it. I love you, Nico, and I don’t care if it takes you sixty years to say it back, because it’s still going to be worth it.”  

Will feels Nico relax and sneak his arms around his neck, long fingers tangling in Will’s hair at his nape. Will smiles and finds it safe to let his mouth wander again.  

“And it’s not like this is going to change anything”, Will continues between kisses. “I’ve known for a while, and I think you have too. Now I’m just going to say it every day; when I say you in the morning, when I kiss you good night, when you scrunch up your nose in disgust when there’s just salad for lunch again, when we sing that stupid song about drunken sailors at camp fire...” Will smirks into Nico’s collar bone. “And  _especially_ when I catch you dancing.” 

Nico hums happily when Will presses a kiss to his pulse point and massages Will’s scalp with the tips of his fingers. “Yeah, well, you’re never going to catch me dancing, like, ever again. I’m never going to risk it, I’m just going to quit dancing, period. That was mortifying.” 

Will laughs, and his lips find Nico’s ear while his heart pounds loudly in his own with  _iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou_. “No, love”, he breaths and nibbles on the ear lobe, enjoying the way it makes Nico visibly shiver. “It was hot.” 

* * *

The first time anyone else sees Nico and Will kissing is after they have already been officially dating for almost a whole year. Sure, there has been some peck on the cheek from Will, but if you ask Jason those don’t count. To everyone at camp the whole relationship just seems like one big mystery. Half of the campers aren’t even sure the two are together at all, what with the death glares and insults and yelling and lack of physical contact. For a few times most everyone is convinced Nico and Will have broken up, but then they see a shy look or a delicate touch of a hand or an admiring look from afar and they think,  _yeah, there it is._  

(And let’s not forget about that time Cecil points out an actual hickey on Will’s shoulder, barely hidden under his shirt collar. Nico isn’t able to look at anyone in the eye for weeks.) 

While Jason is the one pestering the two of them most about the lack of public displays of affection, it must be karma that he’s not the first one to catch them kissing. He can be heard whining about that even years later. Instead it’s Reyna, who has come to Camp Half-Blood in advance to help prepare the celebrations for one year of peace between the Greeks and Romans. 

Since the war against Gaea, Nico and Reyna have become quite close. It may seem like an unlikely friendship to most, but there is so much almost anyone doesn’t know about. The way Reyna shared her strength with Nico forced them to trust each other, and it still remains a highly guarded secret not even Will knows about.  

But their friendship is more than that. They genuinely enjoy each other’s company in a quiet, reserved way, and Nico can really appreciate the fact that Reyna doesn’t pry on his personal life, instead waiting on him to open up in his own time. It’s nice, having a friend like Reyna outside his immediate circle of relations. 

(Nico and Reyna also kick some serious ass in capture the flag when they team up. And they  _always_ team up.) 

Whenever Reyna visits Camp Half-Blood she makes it a point to always spend at least one full afternoon with Nico. This custom makes Nico feel a little strange at first – apart from Will, no one else has gone to such lengths to spend time with him specifically in a long time. Not since... well, not since Bianca, really. And despite himself, Nico finds himself smiling a little bit brighter to Reyna than he does to most of his other friends. 

They don’t talk about much this time. Reyna has brought a bag of potato chips with her, and the two of them just laze around in the Hades cabin, eating chips and catching up. Nico thinks that it’s good for Reyna to relax and not be a praetor every once in a while, and Reyna laughs that it’s healthy for Nico to spend some time with someone who isn’t Will at least once in a month. 

“I  _do_ spend time with other people than Will”, Nico shoots her a glare and throws a chip at her. He misses terribly. “I practice combat with Jason six times a week. I paired up with Cecil in the three-legged race just two weeks ago, I get well along with the people in the Apollo cabin, you know, after spending so much time in the infirmary and sitting with them during lunch.” At this, Reyna gives him a meaningful look that manages to make him blush. “Shut  _up_. And ever since the summer season started and Annabeth came back she’s been helping me out with the burial rite research. See, I  _don’t_ spend all my time with just Will.” 

“I know”, Reyna says, and for a moment she looks just like another teenager, not a praetor of the Twelfth Legion, not a war hero. “I’m just messing with you. Thought your description does seem a lot different from the one I got from Jason.” 

Nico huffs, annoyed. “Well, Jason has a problem. Ever since he learned about me he’s been hovering all over, and he just wants me to talk to him and stuff. It’s really annoying. Plus, I think he’s enjoying the fact that I’m dating Will way too much, it’s getting a little bit creepy.” 

Reyna just gives out a small laugh, one that Nico hasn’t even realized he’s missed, and they fall into a comfortable silence once again. It’s the same kind of silence he has with Hazel, Nico thinks; he can feel Reyna’s eyes observing him as he stares at the bag of chips, like she’s searching something from his face, not unlike Hazel. It doesn’t make Nico uncomfortable as much as it makes him very aware of himself.  

“It’s good to see you happy, Nico”, Reyna says then, and Nico raises his eyes to meet hers. Her face is a mask, free of any recognizable emotion once more, but Nico has learned to read her eyes. “I mean – you  _are_ happy, right?” 

Nico knows right away what Reyna is implying.  _Are you happy with Will?_  His face feels hot when he looks away, and he can feel his lips curving into an involuntary smile. “Yes. I am.” 

“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” 

At first Nico wants to say no, absolutely not. He has barely admitted it to himself a short while ago and he doesn’t want to tell anyone else before he’s told Will. That seems only fair. But the way Reyna is looking at him and reading his face, Nico just knows there’s no point trying to deny it. Reyna will know anyway. Nico’s face burns an intense red as he nods and looks at his hands in his lap. He’s in love with Will. He loves Will so much that even the thought makes his heart beat painfully against his chest. 

Is love supposed to hurt like that? From what Nico has heard, it’s supposed to be all sunshine and rainbows and unicorns and cotton candy. That’s what it seems to be like for Will, too, most of the time. But Nico has also met Cupid. Nico still painfully remembers all the times he saw Percy with Annabeth and wondered why he couldn’t have that. He remembers Cupid’s words, how much it hurt to tell Jason about Percy. The stabbing pain in his chest might be a memory, but it’s still not any less real. 

But the thought of loving Will, of being in love with him, that’s somehow different. It still hurts, yes, but it doesn’t burn like someone is roasting Nico’s heart out of his chest. It’s more like a gentle hand squeezing tightly around his lungs, taking his breath away. It’s like his heart skips a beat every time he sees Will just to remind him that it exists, and every time Nico hears Will say he loves him his nerves tingle all over his skin, up his chest and down his back, making him squirm. 

So yes, maybe love is supposed to hurt. But Nico thinks he has learned a lot about the how, now. 

Reyna doesn’t say anything. She just looks at Nico and smiles, and Nico doesn’t mind. He doesn’t mind that Reyna is the one to know how deep his feelings for Will truly are, because in truth, the first to know (after Will) would have been either her or Hazel or Jason, and Nico is  _really_ glad it wasn’t Jason. 

After a good fifteen minutes of absolute silence (which Nico has really learned to appreciate, he may be in love with Will but he is not in love with Will’s humming) there is a knocking on the Hades cabin door. Nico gets up and walks to the door, already forming a declining line in his head in case it’s Jason again, asking him and Reyna to come hang out in the arena instead. When Nico opens the door, however, he is attacked by soft lips on his before he can even see who’s standing there. 

“Oh my gods, you will not  _believe_ the day I’ve had!” Will all but groans before continuing the kiss. Nico is stunned; mostly because Reyna is there and he can practically feel her staring at them right now. But also because it’s not like Will to just barge right into the kiss like that. Will is nothing if not discreet, always making sure Nico is okay with what they’re doing, to the point that it’s getting a little bit frustrating. Under normal circumstances Nico wouldn’t have minded this one bit – but as it is, he is just shocked. 

When Will finally seems to notice how uneasy Nico is (sure, Nico was responding to the kiss, because only an idiot  _wouldn’t_ , but he’s still a lot more guarded than he usually is now when kissing Will) he leans back and looks at him, brows furrowed. “Nico?” 

Nico is kind of embarrassed. He shouldn’t be like this about PDA. It’s not a big deal, not really, and they aren’t even anywhere public right now. It’s just the two of them and one of Nico’s closest friends. But still, here Nico is, unable to show affection to his boyfriend of eleven months (give or take a few days, they still can’t seem to agree on the day they really stopped being just friends) just because someone else is in the same room with them. Nico can’t do anything but look at his feet, feeling how badly his face is burning. He doesn’t think he would be able to look at Will. Will doesn’t deserve this kind of a cold shoulder from him.  

From the corner of his eye Nico can see Reyna move and knows Will sees it too from the way Will stiffens and suddenly takes half a step back towards the door, away from Nico. Nico now regrets his actions even more.  

“Oh. H-hey, Reyna. Long time, no see.” Will’s voice is high-pitched, and if Nico wasn’t so deep in self-loathing he would laugh at the sound. Will clears his throat. “I didn’t realize you might be in here.” 

“No, you didn’t. Evidently.” Nico swears he can hear the laughter in her voice and a part of him wants to stab her for it. This isn’t actually all that funny. “But do tell me. What would you have done had it been me who opened the door and not Nico?” 

“Shut up, Reyna”, Nico mutters and manages to sneak a peek at Will. Gods, Will’s face is like a tomato, his freckles shining like stars from a pitch black sky. Nico knows this is really not the time, but Will just looks so amazing that he kind of wants to slap him. “It’s not funny.” 

Reyna just stands up from the arm chair she has been occupying and smirks. “You’ve got to admit, Nico, it’s a little funny.” Nico raises his head to shoot her a warning glance, but she just shakes it off. Reyna is one of the very few people that doesn’t get spooked by Nico’s death glare. She picks up her hoodie and makes her way towards them and the door. “Well, I guess I’m off to find Jason. You two play nice. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” 

Nico doesn’t risk saying anything else in fear of giving Reyna more material to give scathing remarks. He should have known, though, that she manages well enough without his help. 

“Just so you know, Will”, she says just before stepping out. Her body and expression are relaxed, but only a fool would believe what she’s about to say is anything less than a threat. “I have two metal dogs that are not very fond of people who cross me or my friends. Is that understood?” 

Will swallowing is both the hottest and the cutest thing Nico has probably ever seen, despite the whole situation being so incredibly  _stupid_. Will jerks a nod and mutters an affirmative, and then Reyna is out. 

“Oh my gods, Nico, I’m so sorry”, Will says as soon as Reyna is out of ear shot. He closes the door and leans against it, his face burning and freckles glowing and his eyes the size of plates. Nico can now understand what a deer in the head lights must look like. “I had no idea she was in here. I didn’t even remember she was supposed to arrive today! If I’d known I would never... I mean I know how you feel about that stuff, I wouldn’t – “ 

“Shut up, Will”, Nico says, still mortified by his own actions, his own weakness. He makes it a point to look straight at Will, not down or to the side. Will deserves that much. “It’s okay. Honestly. I mean, it’s just Reyna, anyway. It’s not like she didn’t know of us dating or something. Hell, I’m positive Jason’s made sure the whole world knows, by now.” 

Nico’s attempt at a joke doesn’t earn him any laughs, but it does make Will relax a little bit. “It’s okay? You’re sure?” And just by looking at the hopeful, if questioning, look in Will’s eyes Nico knows this is a very good step forward for him – for them. 

Nico smiles. “Yes, I’m sure.” Will smiles, too. Maybe after a while Nico will start feeling more comfortable about showing affection in public. Baby steps. “Now, are you going to just stand there or are you going to come here and pick up where you left off? Because I’ll have you know it’s very rude to kiss me like that and then just – “ 

* * *

Nico wants to go back to sleep as soon as he gains any sense of consciousness. He tries to roll over and bury himself in Will’s side, just like he has planned on doing as soon as Will decided to stay the night in the Hades cabin last night, but the bed is depressingly lacking of another body. Instead Nico can hear an all too familiar tune that keeps him from falling back asleep. 

“... _you never know, dear, how much I love you, please don’t take my sunshine away_...” 

This is so not the first time Nico has woken up to Will’s terribly off-tune singing, not by far. It still makes him try his hardest not to smile, though. He has told Will time and time again that Will can’t sing to save his life, and that the song is a huge cliché, but Will just simply doesn’t seem to care. They both know that Nico loves the song, really, no matter how harshly and colorfully he tries to deny it. (He only likes it when Will’s the one singing it, though. Others have tried and failed.) 

“And what exactly do you think you’re going  _now_?” 

Will looks up from where he’s folding Nico’s clothes into neat piles on top of the drawer and smiles. “Morning, sunshine. Did you sleep well?” 

Nico rubs the sleep off his face but doesn’t quite move to sit up just yet. Instead he would very much like to bury his face back into the pillow. “Don’t try to change the subject, Solace. What are you doing?” 

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m organizing your wardrobe. Seriously, you’d think that after a whole year of dating I would have managed to teach you at least some basic domestic skills like folding the laundry, but apparently not.” Will sneaks a peek at Nico and probably sees the frown forming on his face. “Oh, don’t be like that. I know you only have black clothes, so color coding would be unnecessary, but it’s just common sense to have jeans and t-shirts in different drawers.” 

There’s a groan and a rumble of sheets as Nico throws the blanket over his head. When he speaks again his voice is muffed. It’s way too early for this, Will. We’ve talked about this. You don’t get to go running around being all functioning and shit before noon on Sundays. Come back to bed.” 

“In a minute, love.” 

Nico peers from under his blanket and huffs, trying to look as demanding as possible while still mostly asleep (or at least wanting to be). “Now. I’m sleepy.” 

Will, however, just continues to hum his stupid song, and Nico resigns himself into staring at him from the cocoon he has made for himself in the bed. Nico can feel a light tint of pink spreading on his cheeks as he watches the muscles shift under the skin on Will’s back. He watches as Will carefully folds the t-shirts and hoodies back into the closet, then the sweaters and jeans, all the while humming and being cheerful and sweet. Will’s head nods slightly to the rhythm and a few golden locks flop against his forehead. Nico tries to count the freckles on Will’s shoulders but loses count before he can get to twenty. 

“I love you, Will.” 

It’s not like Nico means to say it, not now, not like this. It just escapes his lips before he can even think of stopping it. His face feels like it’s burning off but he can’t look away when he sees Will turn around to face him with a smile. Nico doesn’t even know why the whole thing has made him so nervous – Will has said it many times before, it’s only natural for Nico to say it back, right? It’s not like Will is going to leave him hanging. 

Ever since Will said The Words back in May Nico has known that he does in fact return the feeling. How could he not? Saying as much out loud, though, seems like a big risk. Everyone he has previously said them to has died, and while Nico knows there’s no real correlation, he just couldn’t risk it; couldn’t let that happen again, not to Will. He almost slipped a couple of times; first the day right after Will said it, then once after a very intense game of capture the flag during which Will had gotten himself injured and was unconscious for almost two days. Nico is sure Will has known since the Fourth of July feast and fireworks, when Nico opened his mouth and was  _this close_  to saying it, only to be interrupted by Lou Ellen and her damned magical floating water balloons. 

But now it’s done, no turning back. All is out in the open, and despite being scared as all hell Nico a huge weight has been lifted off his heart. Will closes the closet doors and efficiently takes the few steps he needs to get to Nico’s bed. He lowers himself beside Nico over the blankets and places a sweet chaste kiss on Nico’s lips. 

“I love you too, Nico”, Will says while peppering his feather light kisses on Nico. “But of course you knew that already.” He doesn’t say anything about the fact that it’s the first time Nico has said the words, but his smile gives away how happy he actually is. 

Nico leans into Will’s touch, happy and content to be just where he is. “It’s still nice to hear”, he says quietly, his bravery boosted by the happiness he can practically feel flowing from Will and washing over him. It makes him want to purr like a cat. 

“I know”, Will breathes through and between kisses, his breath warm and tingling on Nico’s skin. “I love you.” 

“I love you, Will”, Nico says again, and this time it doesn’t make him blush quite as much. He presses his forehead against Will’s, their breathing mixing together. When Nico opens his eyes, he can see blue ones staring right back. They’re both smiling stupidly. “I really do.” 

Will chuckles and pecks Nico’s lips again. And again. Nico thinks he would be happy staying like this forever and ever and ever, trapped under Will and feeling good and loved and accepted like never before. “I know. But if you think that’s going to change my mind about you helping me out in the infirmary today then you don’t know me as well as you thought you did.” 

One more slow, languid kiss, and Will gets up. Nico whines, but only a little, and sits up anyway. “Well, it was worth a try.” It takes all of Nico’s courage to peel away from the blankets and start getting ready for the day. Before noon on a Sunday. The things love makes him do... “I guess I’ll just have to find another way around that one.” 

“Good luck with that.” Will throws him a t-shirt and some jeans before exiting to the bathroom. “Breakfast in fifteen, sunshine.” 

Once Nico is finally dressed and ready, and after a few (dozen) more kisses, Will opens the door and steps out into the morning sun, knowing Nico will follow. And if it is the first time that Nico reaches out and laces their fingers together while walking towards the dining pavilion, not caring about the people smirking at them and pointing at their linked hands... Well, maybe Will just merely smiles all that brighter. 

* * *

Nico isn’t tired. He knows he probably should be – anyone would be after spending the last forty-eight hours catching rogue spirits in the Underworld with no health insurance and minimal water breaks. Nico should be exhausted, to say the least. But as he walks up the steps to the Hades cabin after stopping by the Big House to inform Chiron of his return to camp, Nico knows he won’t be able to fall asleep anytime soon. 

Late November in the middle of the night, and everyone in camp is fast asleep. All the lights are off. Even the forest seems quiet and peaceful to an untrained eye. Nico tries to make as little sound as possible as he opens the door and slips inside, but once the door is closed behind him he can know for sure he’s safe. Thank the gods – and the Hephaestus campers – for sound proofing. Nico doesn’t have to worry about being woken up too early in the morning by other campers making noise. He can probably sleep through lunch if he feels like it. 

Nico snaps his fingers and the torches around the cabin light up with green flames. In the dim light he can see a slip figure in his bed, shifting slightly in even breaths, whapped in the soft grey blankets that weren’t there when Nico left two days ago. Now, twelve months ago Nico would have been in full alert, maybe drawn out his sword and summoned a dozen zombie warriors. Now, however, after so many such occasions as this one, he knows better, knows it’s not just some unwelcome intruder. Nico can see the neatly folded clothes in the arm chair and the mob of curly golden hair and hear the small endearing snoring. Will has been waiting for him to come back. 

A warm smile makes its way to Nico’s lips as he takes in the sight. He as missed Will. After just over a year of being together three days is still the longest time they have been apart, and Nico always misses Will like crazy. He knows it’s sappy, and silly, and it makes him weak in the eyes of his enemies (not that he really has too many of those, no more than any other demigod anyway). He still can’t help the fact that every time he sees Will his heart leaps and he gets those damned skeletal butterflies in his stomach, and he just wants to kiss Will’s stupid face until he runs out of air. 

Quietly Nico takes off his shoes and tosses his leather jacket on top of Will’s clothes in the arm chair (it’s  _his_ spot, after all, and Will knows the risks of folding his clothes there). He makes his way to the bed and lowers himself to it, halfway on top of Will and burying his face to the back of Will’s head. He takes in the familiar warmth of the body under him and inhales the scent of lemony shampoo as he feels Will stir awake. 

“Hey, you”, Nico whispers and props himself on an elbow to give Will enough room to turn around. Will is still more than half asleep but his lips curve into a happy smile at the sound of Nico’s voice. 

“Hi.” Will opens his eyes a little and Nico can see a hint of the bluest blue that makes his heart ache. Will leans up to catch his lips in a kiss. “Missed you.” 

Nico kisses Will slowly, thoroughly, and leans most of his weight back on top of him once he’s slipped under the covers with him. “Me too. Dad says he’s sorry, but I think we all know he doesn’t really mean that.” Nico hasn’t even bothered to change out of his day clothes even though he knows they’re filthy and probably smell like literal death. He kisses Will again. “What’s important is that it didn’t take longer than two days this time.” 

“Agreed.” Will sighs as Nico’s lips trail down to his neck, finding his pulse point and sucking on it lightly. “What did he need your help with, anyway?” 

“Just some stupid spirits, thinking they were too good to follow the rules. Honestly, if I have to use the shadows like that one more time this year  _I swear to gods_...” 

Will is suddenly a lot more awake as he takes Nico’s face in both of his hands and makes their eyes meet in the dark. Will’s eyes are intense, like they’re searching for something. “You were catching spirits again?” His voice is concerned and Nico sighs. “Are you hurt?” 

Nico rolls his eyes and lets his hands travel up Will’s bare torso. (Nico is not so secretly  _very_ happy that Will more often than not sleeps without a shirt.) “What’s  _hurting_ ”, he says, “is that my boyfriend doesn’t seem to want to kiss me as badly as I want to kiss him. Shut up, okay? I’m  _fine_.” 

“Promise?” 

As a way of answer, Nico connects their lips again, this time with a lot more pressure and emotion. “Promise”, breathes against Will’s lips once they break out for air, then attacks him once again, this time with no objections from Will. 

Without breaking the kiss, Nico moves up to straddle Will. One of Will’s hands moves up and down along his spine, the other is up in his hair, massaging his scalp and tangling into the knots in his hair. Nico keeps his own hands steady on Will’s face and neck, only tracing his thumbs lightly to feel more of that soft skin. This is one of the things he likes most about kissing Will; they both know exactly what the other likes, they know what small things to do to get each reaction, and that’s more than enough to make Nico crazy. 

Will breaks the kiss and looks at Nico fully in the eyes for the first time in days. “I love you”, he whispers, and like every time, it makes Nico smile happily and giddily, makes him want to jump up and down around the room or run a marathon or just simply kiss Will silly. 

Nico presses his forehead against Will and nuzzles his nose on his face. “I love you, too, dork.” He starts kissing a trail again, finding his way to Will’s ear and nibbling on the lobe there playfully as his hands travel south to caress the muscles on Will’s chest. “And I really missed you. All the time.” 

If Will ever tells anyone that Nico has let such corny things get out of his mouth, Nico is going to kill him – no matter how much Nico loves him. He has a reputation to uphold. Thankfully, Will knows this, and Nico knows that Will has missed him just as much as he feels Will tremble beneath him, making them both shiver like a domino effect. Will moves both of his hands to the hem of Nico’s shirt, tugging on it to get it off, to get more skin contact. 

Will pushes Nico slightly so that they’re both sitting up but doesn’t move Nico from his lap. Nico’s shirt is tugged up, up, up, until he has no other choice but to take a break from nibbling at the sensitive skin on Will’s neck to get the stupid piece of clothing off. Before the shirt can hit the floor Will’s lips are on Nico’s throat and neck and chest, and his hands are on Nico’s hips, pulling him even closer. Nico lets out a sigh as he feels their bare chests press together, his skin incredibly sensitive with the exhaustion. He can feel Will’s rapid heartbeat against his own, and Will’s hands on his hips and lower back, digging into the soft parts. Nico wonders if Will has any idea what that kind of close contact does to him. He probably does. 

Will’s lips trace Nico’s collar bones, skim up to his jaw, drop back down to suck on the part where the neck meets the shoulder. Nico knows he’s careful not to leave any marks where they can be easily spotted, because Will knows how much Nico hates it when Cecil points them out (and Cecil always does). Will does, however, bite lightly on the shoulder and then kiss it better. 

“Great, now I can’t train in the arena without a shirt for a week”, Nico mutters with half hearted annoyance, then runs his fingers through Will’s hair to get him closer to his throat. 

“Mmh”, Will hums and Nico shivers at the feeling of hot breath against his skin. “Too bad. I would have enjoyed that.” 

Nico pulls at Will’s hair, and Will leans his head back just enough for Nico to lean in and crush their lips together again. It’s now less of a dance and more of a battle, and Nico thinks that it should feel weird to tangle his tongue together with someone else’s like this, but it doesn’t. Nico can feel Will’s hand all over at once, finding each of Nico’s scars and memorizing them with a gentle touch of his fingers, just like they have done so many times before. Nico breathes in the same air Will is breathing. He’s almost positive this must be what people mean when they talk about  _being one_  with someone. 

It isn’t until Will’s hand trails down the side of Nico’s ribs that Nico freezes and takes in a sharp breath. There’s a large bruise there, fresh and covering half of his ribs. It’s hard to see in the dark of the cabin but it’s definitely there, and when Will sees it he looks like he wants to yell at Nico. 

“You said you aren’t hurt”, Will says accusingly and Nico can’t do much more than sigh. 

“No, I didn’t, actually”, he mutters. “I said I’m fine, and I am. I didn’t even remember the bruise was there. It doesn’t hurt too badly, I swear.” 

Will huffs, but his hand is still making small soft circles on the small of Nico’s back so Nico knows Will isn’t too mad. “Well, sorry if I don’t take your word for it.” Will looks at Nico. Nico can see more worry than anger in his eyes. It’s actually really sweet. “You’d tell me if you really were hurt, wouldn’t you?” 

Nico leans in to press a soft kiss on Will’s mouth while caressing his cheek. “Of course”, he breathes. “Of course I would tell you. Like I’d ever trust anyone else to make me all better.” 

“Good.” Will’s fingers trail down to the bruise once more, this time a lot more cautious. Even if it hurts a little bit, Nico doesn’t let it show. “Do you mind if I try something? It’s an Apollo thing.” 

“Sure. As long as you’re not dislocating anything, by all means.” 

As Nico watches, Will slowly places his palm on the bruise, spreading his fingers to cover more area. Then Will closes his eyes and starts humming. He’s not a good singer, but he can hum a few tunes plausibly. This one isn’t any particular tune – even though Nico can hear a few parts that sound dangerously close to  _You Are My Sunshine_  – but more of a mix of every tune Nico has ever heard Will humming and then some. 

At first, nothing happens. Then Nico’s side starts burning under Will’s touch, like a thousand burning needles are being punctured through his skin, and the most insane part is that it’s an almost pleasant feeling. Nico keeps his eyes on his bruise and he can see how slowly, little by little, the bruise turns first a lighter purple, then yellow, and then finally it fades altogether. The burning stops, and once Will’s humming stops it already looks and feels like there never was any bruise to begin with. 

Nico touches his side and looks at Will in awe. “How the  _hell_ did you do that?” he asks, his voice almost embarrassingly full of admiration and new kind of respect for Will. He has always known that Will is an extremely gifted healer, one of the best in centuries, but he’s never even heard of someone doing something like this – anyone other than the gods themselves, that is. And the last time he checked Will wasn’t a god (though he very well could be and Nico wouldn’t complain).  

Will blushes slightly and the freckles all over his upper body start glowing like stars in a night sky, just the way Nico loves it. “I just had a thought, I guess. A couple of weeks ago I read about some of the most famous children of Apollo being able to do this, and I just... I don’t know. I though it wouldn’t hurt to try? A simple prayer to my dad, and a tune that could work as a hymn, and, well...” 

Will makes it sound so  _simple_ , like it’s  _nothing_. But Nico knows it’s anything but nothing. He looks at Will and his heart aches for how much he loves him at this very moment, and Nico just  _knows_ , just like he has always known, that Will is special in more ways than just one. 

“You’re freaking amazing, you know that?” Nico mutters before crashing his lips together with Will’s, showering him with love and admiration and gratefulness and enthusiasm and so much more  _love_ he wonders if there ever will be enough. “I think you’re the most wonderful person on this stupid planet, and I love you, and don’t you ever dare forget that, okay?” 

He doesn’t exactly give Will time to respond to that as he just attacks his lips again, more intensely and heatedly than before. Nico’s hands are in Will’s hair and shoulders and neck and back and chest and stomach, everywhere at once, and Will’s are pretty much the same. Nico isn’t sure if it’s the power that Will possesses, or his own exhaustion, or multiple things combined, and he doesn’t particularly care. Something in the healing process has triggered something in Nico that doesn’t surface that often, and now that it’s awake there’s no turning back.  

It’s weird to think that one year ago Nico could barely let Will hold his hand. They have come such a long way since then, and now, straddling Will and pulling him closer and wanting to feel every inch of him, the almost sixteen-year-old Nico kind of wants to punch the fourteen-year-old Nico in the face. True, the younger Nico was insecure and scarred for life and could hardly trust anyone, but that’s something that is so hard to remember sometimes, especially when Will’s hands are –  _oh_. 

Nico lets out a shaky moan, barely audible, and feels Will’s thumbs on his nipples. It’s not like Will hasn’t done that before (oh, he  _has_ ), yet it still makes Nico’s head spin every time. 

“Is this okay?” Will asks against his mouth, and his voice is deep and raw and  _gods_ Nico loves that. 

“What do you think, you idiot?” Nico mutters before sucking Will’s lower lip between his teeth, earning a moan from Will in return. “Have I  _ever_ complained before?” 

At this point, Nico can already feel the outline of Will’s hardening interest underneath him, having become familiar with it in the past few weeks. He’s more than a little turned on, himself, but he isn’t sure how far they should go. Despite all the nibbling and teasing and touching that has been going on between them lately, they haven’t...  _that_ , yet. 

Will presses a thumb against Nico’s left nipple again, making Nico breath embarrassingly loud. “No, I guess you haven’t.” 

As the teasing continues, Will flips them over so that he’s now pressing Nico against the mattress while hovering over him. In the split second before Will dips his head down to kiss across Nico’s chest, Nico can see how much darker Will’s normally light blue eyes have turned. But then Will slowly but surely starts making his way down, pressing hot open mouthed kisses on a now hard nipple, and every remaining rational thought Nico still might have flies out the window. 

“Will”, Nico breathes out and later thinks that the sound is rather whiny and embarrassing, but right now he doesn’t care a flying – “ _Will_.” 

Just when Nico thinks that he wouldn’t stand it if Will stopped, Will does the stupid thing and  _stops_ , just to lean up and kiss Nico. The kiss is hot and desperate and – in the lack of a better word – needy, and Nico breathes heavily into Will’s mouth in a way he never though before that he would. He never has before, anyway, not quite like that. Nico can feel Will hard against his thigh, just pressing there and just waiting. Will’s eyes shoot open when Nico shifts slightly on top of him, and Nico knows he can feel Nico’s erection against his lower stomach. He  _has_ to feel it. 

There’s an obvious question in Will’s eyes. Nico can hear it crystal clear, even if it’s not said out loud.  _Do you want to stop?_  Because just like Nico, Will isn’t exactly sure about anything regarding...  _that_ , yet. There was one discussion, a few months ago, but Nico doesn’t like thinking about it. It was positively the most awkward five minutes of Nico’s life, which is saying something, and after that they both thought it best to wait for the right time and place and – and maybe there needs to be another  _talk_ , too, before going all the way.  

But that doesn’t stop them from  _experimenting_ a little, right? 

Nico doesn’t speak, either. He holds Will’s intense gaze (a gaze that’s doing  _things_ to Nico,  _oh gods_ ) as he wraps his legs around Will’s hips, pressing a little with his heels to bring their hips closer. The second he can feel their hips grind together his eyes flutter closed, though, and he drops his head against the pillows as Will groans against his neck. Nico shifts again, just a little bit more to get more of that nice friction, and Will answers by grinding down, slowly, like he’s testing the waters. And,  _gods_ , Nico feels like he’s died and gone to Elysium, he feels so damn good. 

“ _Nico_ ”, Will breathes against Nico’s neck. The way he says his name makes Nico whimper and arch his back to be as close to Will as he can, earning a low moan from Will. “Oh my  _gods_ , Nico.” 

Using the little control Nico still thinks he has over his own body he flips them over once more. He starts rolling his hips into Will’s in a slow rhythm, making pleasant electric shocks run down his body over and over. Nico looks at Will, who is quickly picking up on what Nico is doing with slight thrusts of his own. Will is making noises Nico hasn’t heard before, and Will’s eyes are shut tight, and Will’s lips are parted as his entire body arches to meet Nico’s movements, and Nico thinks he’s so  _gorgeous_ , and – and holy shit, did  _Nico_ do this to him? 

Nico leans down to drag his teeth over Will’s collar bones in a way he’s already learned Will likes a great deal. He feels Will’s hands travel down his back, lower,  _lower_ , until they grab Nico’s ass and squeeze, putting more force into the grinding.  

“Will”, Nico heaves, fully aware now how badly his cock is throbbing inside his jeans as he pushes down again and again to meet Will’s rocking. He can feel the tension building in his lower stomach, knowing he’s getting closer to the edge quickly. 

But Will doesn’t hear Nico at all. As Nico bites his lip and watches, Will jerks up forcefully a few times, lips parted in a silent scream, and Nico can feel his body tense beneath him. Nico has never seen Will like this, and it’s beautiful, and Nico loves everything about it.  Will pants heavily, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, the freckles all across his skin glowing and his heart beating against Nico’s palm harder than ever before. 

“ _Gods_ , Will”, Nico mumbles, not being able to speak properly anymore. His hips move back and forth faster than before. “You’re so beautiful.” Somewhere in the back of Nico’s mind he registers that he’s not even speaking English anymore, and instead he’s talking in some kind of Greek-Italian hybrid that comes more naturally to him. He closes his eyes and leans his forehead against Will’s sternum as he feels himself starting to come. “Will, I’m – I – “ 

“It’s okay, love”, Will whispers, his voice shaky and breathless and his fingers going up to Nico’s hair, petting it softly. “It’s okay. I’ve got you, sunshine. You can let go.” 

And Nico does. His mind whites out for a solid minute, and afterwards he can feel his jeans get hot and wet and sticky as he collapses against Will, chanting his name like a mantra and gripping the sheets on either side of Will in tight fists. Nico can see starts, he’s almost blinded by them, and he can hear a roar in his ears as he tries to catch his breath. 

Nico is still shaking when he feels Will’s arms wrap around him and pull him even closer. Nico can’t move a muscle, he’s so exhausted, but he relaxes against Will’s sweaty chest and listens to a steady heart beat even though he has no idea whether it’s his own or Will’s. It doesn’t really matter, anyway. Nico breathes in Will’s familiar odor, hears him whisper something in his hair, feels the loving little touches on his neck and back, and the first thing that Nico does when he can move again is smile. 

Somehow Nico feels like he should be embarrassed. He just came in his jeans, grinding on top of his boyfriend. But it’s not like this wasn’t going to happen eventually – some might even say it’s long overdue, no matter how young and inexperienced they are. They’re  _teenagers_ , aren’t they  _supposed_ to test their own limits? And frankly, lying there with Will, thinking about the past half an hour or so, Nico doesn’t even know what there really is to be embarrassed about. As far as he himself is concerned, it all felt very good, both physically and mentally. Nico doubts that Will is complaining, either – not with the way he’s clinging to Nico like a dying man to a life line. 

When Nico finally raises his head and looks up into his eyes, he feels his tired smile get just that much wider. “So, that happened.” 

Will still looks out of breath, but he smiles and pushes Nico’s sweaty hair back from his forehead. “Yeah”, he says, and Nico leans forward to give him a soft kiss. “Yeah, it did.” They look at each other with tired but happy eyes. “I love you, Nico.” 

In that moment, Nico doesn’t even care that his jeans are incredibly uncomfortable and probably ruined, or that Will’s pajama pants can’t be any better. He just smiles as widely as he can and kisses Will again. “What a coincidence, I love you, too.” 

Will’s body shakes with silent laughter as they move back under the covers and Will tucks Nico to his side. “Shut up, di Angelo. No snarky remarks while cuddling.” A kiss is dropped to the top of Nico’s hair. “I don’t know about you, but personally I’m way too tired to get up. We can clean up in the morning.” 

“Mmh, good thinking.” Nico closes his eyes as he buries his face to Will’s neck, just like he has done on many nights before and hopes to do for many nights to follow. “As always, I suppose.” 

(But, as it turns out in the morning, it wasn’t all that good thinking at all.)

**Author's Note:**

> i know, some of it is still rather terrible. but i've decided to embrace it, kind of as a testament to how much my writing has improved since i joined the fandom.


End file.
